


The Ground Beneath You

by Supnitle



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-09
Updated: 2017-01-27
Packaged: 2018-09-15 23:46:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 1,916
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9264428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Supnitle/pseuds/Supnitle
Summary: It was like he had been thrown in a pool of cold water, except the pool was the Fire Nation and he was the Firelord, and he was expected to swim in its murky, mirthless waters until he died.(post canon toph/zuko)





	1. Humor

Somewhere along the line, Zuko had gotten used to it. Aang's childish behavior or Sokka's snide quips became normal and expected, rather than distracting, aberrant behavior from soldiers fighting in a war. His uncle had always been there, joking and smiling, but when Katara cracked a joke at the prince's expense during the victory party, Zuko was surprised to feel himself chuckling with everyone else. It still didn't feel natural, but it felt right, and his uncle took him aside later to tell him that he was happy see that Zuko could "finally take a joke." He was changing, he supposed, but he didn't think much of it then, only smiling and nodding. The change only became pronounced once they had all left, back to their own homes and nations, leaving Zuko behind with a palace, a nation, and a remarkably unfunny ex-girlfriend.

(His father and sister were still there, although they did not provide him with much in the way of comedy.)

It was like he had been thrown in a pool of cold water, except the pool was the Fire Nation and he was the Firelord, and he was expected to swim in its murky, mirthless waters until he died. The royal court was entirely devoid of any wit or whimsy, and some days Zuko found himself grinding his teeth, praying that someone say something, anything, not related to money or politics. Aang flew in occasionally, and those days acted as reprieve. His visits were still mainly business, but the Avatar's cheery attitude managed to lift some of the stress from Zuko's brow. Whenever the issue they were dealing with was resolved, however, Zuko found himself back in the pool, floating lifelessly with no end in sight.

Six years passed, and Zuko was still swimming: the western villages were having some kind of ambiguously important political conflict, and he was in the process of filling out the paperwork to send a delegation over to arbitrate. Earlier, he had engaged in his fortieth-or-so debate on why they did not need to reinstate the standing army, spitting fire (literally and figuratively) with one of his generals. His servants had left him to his work, and he scribbled silently into the night, the muscles in his fingers beginning to ache.

Zuko scowled down at his signature. What the honor and esteem the title of Firelord carried really meant was that no one in the palace felt comfortable being near him. He was the banished prince, Ozai's son, and he could have their heads chopped off for even entertaining the thought of being casual, let alone droll, around the Firelord.

That was why when Toph leapt through his doors, smashed the royal tiles, and punctuated her entrance with a "what's up, shithead," Zuko just  _lost it._ He began howling with laughter, rocking backwards until his chair toppled and he was on the floor, still cackling. Toph joined him, letting out a loud guffaw at Zuko's fit, and the panicking secretary at the doorway let out a nervous chuckle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi it's 2 am rn and I don't know what this is. i'll probably write more chapters because this pairing is great and I love it and there isn't anything of it
> 
> 6 years after canon and they're 18 and 24. which might be pushing it a little, looking at it, but you can kind of give or take a year and fucking whatever, let them do what they want. toph will kick your ass, man.


	2. Breakfast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Toph didn't want to say why she had come to the palace and Zuko didn't particularly care.

Toph didn't want to say why she had come to the palace and Zuko didn't particularly care. The rules of hospitality dictated that she be allowed to stay, and more importantly, she was a friend: someone he could have a conversation with that didn't involve angry villagers or military restructuring. Although her bombastic entrance in the middle of the night had caused quite a stir among his security, Toph was swiftly given lodgings and a pair of assistants to heed her wishes. The latter came with no small amount of grumbling from Toph, who insisted she was fine, but she was too tired after her long journey to argue otherwise.

The next morning, the air had changed. Zuko's schedule was the same as ever: wake up, become presentable, grab breakfast, immediately go into office and prepare to do more paperwork. This time, though, as a petition for increased marketing rights sat on his desk, Zuko continually glanced back at his door in anticipation, his foot tapping impatiently. She still liked to sleep in, apparently.

Soon enough, Toph barged in, tailed by the assistants who were whispering something about 'not bothering the Firelord.' Zuko waved them off as Toph approached, flopping down in the chair in front of the desk. Zuko grabbed the second plate of food he had procured beforehand and set it in front of her wordlessly. She smiled, then he smiled.

"Were you expecting me to drop in, Sparky?" She asked, grabbing at the plate.

"I figured you wouldn't want to eat in the main dining hall with all the stuffy nobles," Zuko replied.

"You got that right." She sniffed at the dish. "What even is this?"

"It's a crop from our eastern villages. They call it 'dragonfruit.' It tastes better than it smells."

"Well," Toph said with a grin, "It looks great to me."

Zuko simply nodded and went back to his work. Toph waited a beat, frowned, then shrugged, digging into her meal, eating with her hands. Zuko wouldn't comprehend the joke until six hours later, causing him to choke on his water in the middle of a meeting and spit it out, extinguishing the ceremonial flames next to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote moooooore
> 
> I'd like to say there are definitive plans for this, but there, uh, aren't. There are plaaaaans but they aren't, well, definitive.   
> please follow me on this wild trash ride  
> zuko's a dork


	3. Peak

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> His security regiment practically pleaded to come with them, but Toph waved them off, as she was 'the only guard he needed.' Zuko had to admit, she wasn't wrong.

It was an impromptu decision; there was a rare lull in Zuko's daily schedule, and whatever appointments he had were insignificant enough to cancel for the sake of 'an adventure,' as Toph had called it. They had been eating breakfast together, which was becoming routine, when the Firelord mentioned he had some free time. Toph seized the opportunity and immediately proclaimed that the two of them were going to go climb a mountain.

"Toph, I can't just drop everything to go rock climbing," He'd protested.

"Why not? You're the Firelord!"

"That's _why_."

Toph had already been cooped up in the palace for a few days, however, and Zuko found himself weak-willed. After breakfast, he put off all his business for the day and headed out of the palace, bringing a heavy pack and an earthbender who was much more excited than he was. His security regiment practically pleaded to come with them, but Toph waved them off, as she was 'the only guard he needed.' Zuko had to admit, she wasn't  _wrong._ The two set off alone.

The long trek up the mountain -which was really a steep cliff that branched off the edge of the capital- was much more difficult than anticipated. Zuko had kept up with some daily exercise, but the past six years of paperwork and administration had not been kind on his endurance. Toph seemed as energetic as ever, zipping up the mountain and taking every opportunity to pass Zuko. (Even if she was earthbending, which was definitely cheating.) She always stopped and waited for him, though, tapping her foot and calling out impatiently. The two of them reached the summit together, just around sunset.

"Wow," Zuko breathed.

Toph had sat down already, taking in the cool wind on her face and the feel of the earth beneath her. "What?" She asked.

"The sunset," he replied. It had been a long time since his last evening not spent in the palace, and atop the cliff's peak, the sight was awe-inspiring. "It's... beautiful."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I think it looks - "

" _Don't._ "

They both laughed, chuckling between themselves on the isolated clifftop. Zuko began to describe the sunset, telling Toph about the way it melted into the horizon, the fading light pooling across the skyline. He described its married hues of yellows and oranges and red and the way they shone like fire, warm but fleeting. Toph sat silently, absorbing his descriptions and trying to picture them in her own mind. She couldn't get a clear picture, but she closed her eyes and smiled, listening to her friend speak.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i did it i wrote another thing
> 
> These first few chapters can probably be read as more of like, a sibling relationship? Rather than a romantic one. Which is good! I like that too!!! these two are good for each other!!!!! healthy friends!!!!!!!! (maybe kissing???????)


	4. Gardening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Her figure had filled out and her hair was longer, but Toph was still Toph.

Her figure had filled out and her hair was longer, but Toph was still Toph. She slept until noon, did whatever she wanted, and adamantly refused any help from the assistants Zuko had provided. That was fine, at first - as an honored guest of the Firelord and a war hero, Toph had a certain amount of leeway when it came to her behavior. It was when Zuko went out into the gardens, just before sunrise, to see the entire area demolished by Toph's earthbending training that he realized she was  _maybe_ pushing the boundaries of her stay.

He walked over to the earthbender, making his way around erupted slabs of stone and massive dirt crevices. Toph was panting, sweat dripping down her face, her eyes baggy. Zuko frowned, then said, "I see you decided to do some gardening work?"

"Eh," Toph grunted. She placed her hands on her back and stretched, eliciting a 'pop' noise from her weary bones that made Zuko wince. "I think it looks better."

Zuko opened his mouth, closed it, then groaned. He rubbed the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger, closing his eyes and creasing his brow. "Toph," he said, "you can't just destroy the garden for no reason."

"Why?" She asked. The question was infuriating in its simplicity.

"Because," Zuko replied, "a lot of people worked very hard on this garden." He attempted to keep his tone even and calm, but some frustration was seeping through. "It's pretty rude of you to demolish it like this."

There was a pause between the two before Toph stomped her foot. All at once, everything in the garden returned to normal. Granted, the flowers were still uprooted and the grass would need to regrow, but the ground was level once again.

Zuko sighed. "Thanks." He crossed his arms, then asked, "Why did you do this in the first place?"

"I felt like it," Toph snapped. "Just wanted to blow off some steam."

The Firelord pursed his lips, considering his words carefully. "Toph," he began, speaking slowly, "you're not a kid anymore. You're an adult. When you're angry, you can't just - "

Zuko was in the ground and Toph was walking away, her feet heavy with anger. Buried chest-deep in dirt, Zuko took a deep breath, watching the earthbender go.

Toph was still Toph.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh no they had a fight or something
> 
> This and the next chapter are maybe the signs of plot??? or something overarching other than just like, me writing tiny one-shot things because I can't be assed to write anything longer
> 
> they'll be cool in the next chapter toph's just unhappy rn  
> not super happy w/this chapter but it's mostly a transition to the next so i d k


	5. Abandoned

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I'm sorry," he said.
> 
> "I know,"

Zuko found her later that night, sitting alone in the restored garden, palms planted on the dirt. Toph didn't say anything as he walked over, but they both knew she could feel his presence. He stood next to her for just a moment before sitting down, marking the royal robes with clumps of dirt for the second time that day. The two sat there silently, and neither of them could tell whether or not the moment felt comfortable.

Time passed. Zuko spoke up first. "I'm sorry," he said.

"I know," Toph murmured in reply. The statement sat between them for a moment before Toph added, "I'm sorry too."

Silence returned. Zuko traced a circle in the dirt with his finger and Toph leaned her head back towards the sky.

"Toph?" Zuko asked.

"Yeah?"

"Why  _are_ you here?"

Toph shrugged her shoulders. "Don't have anywhere else to stay," she mumbled.

Zuko frowned. "What about your parents?"

The air shifted. Toph's expression retreated and she curled up, pressing her knees into her chest and her feet into the ground. There was a flicker of hurt in her eyes when she responded simply, "You know."

It took him but a moment to understand. Zuko put a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder. "I do."

She leaned into him, and the two sat together in the garden for a long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was actually the only chapter I had in mind while writing this fic and shows part of why I love these two so much! their parents either suck or are gone, in ursa's case, and they both have to make their way through the world with that hurt and without guidance and they can share this and help each other
> 
> they do also both share iroh as an authority figure, tho I'm not sure when he's showing up in the fic (he almost certainly is)
> 
> I didn't update for a while but my schedule is sporadic. sorry for the delays and for future delays ;A;


End file.
